Amnesty International India halts its work on upholding human rights in India. Amnesty International claims that they had to stop their work due to reprisal from the government of India.
Amnesty International India’s bank accounts were completely frozen by the Government of India, which it came to know on 10 September 2020, bringing all the work being done by the organisation to a grinding halt. The organisation has been forced to let go of staff in India and pause all its ongoing campaign and research work.
Amnesty International India was a country unit of the Amnesty International network, and was part of a global movement promoting and defending human rights and dignity.
In 1966, Amnesty International office was first set up in Bihar in India. Since then, the organization has worked on cases related torture, prisoners of conscience, abusive laws, women’s rights, corporate accountability and other human rights violations.
Amnesty International network founded in 1961 is a global movement of more than 7 million people in over 150 countries and territories who campaign to end abuses of human rights.
What are Human Rights?
All human beings are born with equal and inalienable rights and fundamental freedoms. Human rights are based on dignity, equality and mutual respect – regardless of your nationality, your religion or your beliefs. Your rights are about being treated fairly and treating others fairly, and having the ability to make choices about your own life. These basic human rights are:
- Universal They belong to all of us – everybody in the world
- Inalienable They cannot be taken away from us
- Indivisible and interdependent Governments should not be able to pick and choose which are respected
- Human Rights can be violated Although they are inalienable, they are not invulnerable. Violations can stop people from enjoying their rights, but they do not stop the rights from existing.
- Human Rights are essential They are essential for freedom, justice, and peace.
How did Human Rights take international character?
It was post second world war – 1945, it took a global character, and many treaties and agreements on Human Rights were signed by the countries across the world.
The first of such international agreement was the – The Universal Declaration of Human Rights adopted by the United Nations General Assembly in 1948. It has 30 articles and to mention few – every individual is entitled to basic dignity, equality, liberty, brotherhood, right to life and the prohibition of slavery.
The United Nations Commission on Human Rights (UNCHR) formed in 1946 was responsible for creating and formation of Universal Declaration of Human Rights. It was a functional commission within the overall framework of the United Nations. It was replaced by the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) in 2006.
The aim of UNHRC is to promote and protect human rights around the world, as well as investigating alleged human rights violations. The headquarters of UNHRC is in Geneva, Switzerland.
Source: https://amnesty.org.in/news-update/
